By Jude Opara, Abuja

A fresh crisis has engulfed the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a faction on Monday stated that it has sacked the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee of the party.

Buni, who is also the Yobe State Governor, is Chairman, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CENCPC) which was appointed in June 2020 with the mandate to organize a national convention of the party in six months’ time.

In a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the faction under the aegis of Progressive Youths Movement (PYM), which said President Buhari’s style of leadership of the party was doing more harm than good, announced Mustapha Audu as Buni’s replacement.

The faction equally announced the formation of a National Reconciliation Committee (NRC) with a mandate to reconcile aggrieved members before the party’s national convention slated for February, 26, 2021.

Audu, the purported new Caretaker Committee Chairman, carpeted the current zoning arrangement of the party’s offices ahead of the national convention and inaugurated a new National Working Committee that would fashion out a new zoning arrangement for party positions that would be contested for at the national convention of the party.

In inaugurating the new committee, Audu said, “Today we are here to inaugurate the PYM – CENCPC, these young men and women of noble repute have been carefully selected and mandated by all well-meaning young stakeholders of our great party the APC to plan and execute our convention before the end of February 2022.

“We are aware of the plethora of issues within the party. Our party has had a history of shying away from true reconciliation and in many cases inflicting chastisement on members that should have been rewarded for their effort towards building the APC. 

“We will also be setting up a reconciliatory committee to help reconcile aggrieved members within the party. It is clear that in the last couple of years the party has been on a regressive course and it is necessary for all well-meaning party members to roll up our sleeves and do the needful to ensure that we correct the mistakes that have been made to ensure 

victory in 2023 for all stakeholders.

“I would advise all party members to look inwards and understand the need to do things differently so that we can ensure we win back the trust of the Nigerian people as we move closer to the election year.

“Let’s join hands and strengthen the internal democracy in our dear party, the APC and show Nigerians that we have what it takes and we deserve their votes in 2023.”

In a swift reaction, however, the Buni-led CENCPC in a statement signed by its National Caretaker Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, described the new faction as a “paid and misguided group.”

 Akpanudoedehe further described the action of the new faction as a treason by paid agents hired by those whose intention is to destroy the party and the efforts of the President Buhari government.

According to Akpanudoedehe: “We have received several enquiries from the media and concerned APC members on the felonious activities of a purported group parading, themselves as “Progressive Youth Movement.

“The purported group and its membership are unknown to the party, its structure or as a registered support group. Hence, we completely disown them and cannot account for their activities or join issues with them. 

“However laughable, the criminal attempt of the purported group to usurp the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC, now bothers on treasonable felony. Relevant security bodies must now check and address their unscrupulous activities. 

“The attention the purported group seeks will not be given to them by the party. We can only advise that the general public completely disregards them. Members of this group are not registered members of the APC and are being used by opposition elements and fifth columnists to cause confusion. 

“As widely reported, the successful meeting between the APC leadership, Progressive Governors’ Forum and the president produced February 2022 as the time frame for the party’s national convention. Our focus now is preparing the ground for a rancour-free exercise.”